Puzzle game apparatus



Dec. 19, 1967 T. ELLIS 3,359,004

PUZZLE GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug. 30, 1966 LONNIE 7. ELL [3 /22a INVENTOR.

BYY (i ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,359,004 PUZZLE GAME APPARATUS Lonnie T. Ellis, Rte. 4, Box 32-A, Orange, Tex.

Filed Aug. 30, 1966, Ser. No. 575,992 1 Claim. (Cl. 273153) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application in a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 341,388, filed Jan. 30, 1964, and now abandoned.

The present invention pertains to a new and improved puzzle board game.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, easily manufactured and assembled puzzle game apparatus of the type described which is easily manipulated but which nevertheless affords challenging and intellectually stimulating puzzle situations.

The foregoing and other objects and purposes of the puzzle game of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein the figure represents an isometric view of one form of the invention.

As shown in the drawing, the playing board comprises an elongate member or board 10. Disposed at spaced points along the length of the board are plural (twelve are shown) receiving positions designated by the reference characters 11-22, the first receiving position being numbered 11, the second receiving position being numbered 12, and so forth. In the illustrated embodiment, the twelve receiving positions 11-22 are provided with corresponding slots, Ila-22a, formed in the board 10. The slots Ila-22a may be in the form of grooves, as shown, or they may extend completely through the board 10 to form apertures.

The playing pieces P illustrated in the figure include three equally sized groups of distinctively colored spherical bodies. By way of example, the multiple playing pieces P are designated as B, R, and W corresponding to the colors blue, red, and white, respectively whereby the members of one group are identified with each other and may be distinguished from the members of the other groups. It may be noted that the number of playing pieces employed in the apparatus of the present invention is equal to the number of receiving positions provided on the board 10.

The dimensions of the slots Ila-22a provided in the board 10 are such that each of the slots, for example, slot 11a, will accommodate two playing pieces P simultaneously. Each of the receiving positions provided in the board 10 are thus limited by the requirement that the lateral dimension D of the board 10 at the receiving positions 11-22 be at least as great as twice the lateral dimension of the contact means or surface of contact of the playing pieces P. When the foregoing condition is satisfied, it will be understood that the playing board 10 will simultaneously accommodate two playing pieces irrespective of the specific configuration assumed by the playing pieces. By way of example, if the playing pieces were pegs or bodies having integral pegs formed thereon rather than the spherical bodies P illustrated in the drawings, the lateral dimension D of the board 10 at the receiving posiice tion must be at least as great as twice the lateral dimension of the contact means (the peg) of the playing pieces. Stated differently, the playing board is seen to include serially arranged means for contacting the playing pieces individually.

It will be appreciated that the playing board and playing pieces disclosed in the present invention may be fabricated of any material. As used herein, the term playing board includes any means for physically representing the configuration, design, and limitations of the disclosed playing board. It will also be understood that the term playing pieces includes any means for physically representing a movable component, provided, however, that such term is also defined as including the disclosed limitations with respect to distinctive groupings and members.

Whle many conceivable puzzle situations may be presented for use with the puzzle game apparatus of the present invention, a preferred puzzle situation will be stated as follows by way of example. The object or resultant solution of the puzzle is an arrangement wherein the twelve playing pieces are disposed in six receiving positions with both of the playing pieces in each of the six receiving positions belonging to the same group.

As a first rule or step in working the puzzle, each of the playing pieces must be disposed in a different receiving position with each receiving position occupied by a single playing piece. From the foregoing configuration, a single playing piece may be moved in accordance with the following requirements or rules:

(1) Any movement of a playing piece from one receiving position to another must include a jump of the mov ing playing piece over two playing pieces, and the jumping playing piece must land in a receiving position containing a single playing piece of the same group as the jumping playing piece;

(2) The two playing pieces over which the moving playing piece jumps may occupy different receiving positions or they may both occupy the same receiving positions; the number of playing positions jumped is not controlling and only the number of playing pieces jumped is significant;

(3) When more than one playing piece occupies a single receiving position, no playing piece in that receiving position may be moved.

A solution of the puzzle requires proper initial arrangement of the playing pieces into the individual receiving positions on the board 10. Thus, the initial configuration for one solution which is illustrated in the figure of the drawings requires that the playing pieces be distributed in slots 1la22a as follows: 110, R; 12a, W; 13a, R; 14a, R; 15a, W; 16a, W; 17a, B; 18a, R; 19a, W; 200, B; 210, B; 22a, B. From this initial configuration, the playing piece in slots 19a is moved to slot 16:11 as indicated by the phantom line and arrow; the playing piece in slot 15a is moved to slot 12a; the playing piece in slot 17a is moved to slots 210; the playing piece in slot 22a is moved to slot 200; the playing piece in slot 18a is moved to slot 14a; and the playing piece in slot 13a is moved to slot 11a. It will, of course, be appreciated that the foregoing described moves obey all of the rules and accomplish the objective established for the puzzle.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in size, shape, and materials as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus, for purposes of illustration and not by way of limitation, it will be clear that while a playing board having twelve receiving positions and twelve playing pieces has been described in detail,

a playing board having any multiple of twelve receiving positions and an equal number of playing pieces may also be employed,

What is claimed is:

A puzzle game comprising, in combination:

(a) a quantity of playing pieces, said quantity consisting of a whole number multiple of twelve;

(b) a playing board;

(0) said quantity of playing pieces consisting of three groups of playing pieces said groups being equal in size;

(d) each group of said groups of playing pieces having means including a characteristic distinguishing each member of said group from the members of the other groups and identifying the members of said group with each other;

(e) said playing board having serially arranged means for contacting said pieces individually including multiple receiving positions, said receiving positions being equal in number to the number of said playing pieces;

(f) each of said playing pieces having contact means;

(g) each of said receiving positions having lateral dimensions at least as great as the combined lateral dimensions of said contact means of any two of said playing pieces;

(h) said playing pieces being removably mounted in said receiving positions of said playing board;

(i) said playing pieces comprising twelve spherical bodies;

(j) said receiving positions including twelve slots disposed in spaced relation along the length of said playing board, said slots having lateral dimension at least as great as twice the lateral dimension of the contact means of said spherical bodies; and

(k) said characteristic comprising a difierent color marking.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1891 Richards. 1/1957 Brown 273-153 X and Fitzgerald, Publishers, No. 18 Ann St., New York, N.Y., pp. 277 and 300 only relied upon.

F. BARRY SHAY, Primaly Examiner. 

